Wal-Mart Stores Incorporated plans to hire up to 150,000 employees in China over the next five years as it expands its number of stores there, the company announced Monday. Wal-Mart has targeted China, which has long been a major supplier of its products, as a key region for its international growth. It now has 56 stores in China with about 30,000 employees and plans to open 20 more stores this year. Wal-Mart spokeswoman Amy Wyatt declined to say how many stores the retailer will add longer term, but she said, "We could hire as many as 150,000 in the next five years." The announcement comes less than a week after Wal-Mart moved to expand in another fast-growing region-Central America-by taking a majority stake in a local retail chain.
